34 JU1AJNA MAJLLUKY

audacious, seemed to wander round the persons near, as
though she saw them, without taking any real account of
them,

'What have you been do;ng, Alicia, all this time?*
said Marsham, as he handed her a cup of tea,

'Dressing/

An incredulous shout from the table,

* Since lunch 1'

Miss Drake nodded, Lady Lucy put in an explpft-
tory remark about a * dressmaker from town/ but was not
heard. The table was engaged in watching the new-
comer,

' May we congratulate you on the result ?' said Mr.
Ferrier, putting up his eye-glass.

' If you like/ said Miss Drake, indifferently, still gently
munching at her cake. Then suddenly she smiled,—a
glittering infectious smile, to which unconsciously all the
faces near her responded. * I have been reading the book
you lent me 1J—she said, addressing Mr. Ferrier.

'Well?'

' I'm too stupid—I can't understand it*

Mr, Ferrier laughed.

'I'm afraid that excuse won't do, Miss Alicia. You
must find another/

She was silent a moment, finished her cake, then took
some grapes, and began to play with them in the same
conscious provocative way,—till at last she turned upon
her immediate neighbour, a young barrister, with a broad
boyish face.

* Well, I wonder whether you'd mind ?'
'Mind what?*

If your father had done something shocfing,—torged
>r murdered—or done something of that kind,—suppos-
ing, of course, he were dead/

' Bo yon mean—if I suddenly found ou|?'